New Version of Windows FX 3.00a[b].005

Better but not fixed fully (Transitions and Dragging)

Saturday, August 26, 2006 by RedQue | Discussion: WindowFX

Finally for the first time since version 3.0 was released I can see some Transition and Dragging effects, unfortunatley they are still buggy.

Example of the Transition issue:

Open Doors works well for Restoring a window, but shows an empty window with poor animation and windows boarders only when the window is Minimized.

Example of the Dragging issues seen so far:

Window goes a very light colour, graphics become vague and washed out, animation is jerky and poor.

Hope that helps the Stardock team, as to show anyone this version of FX would be an poor advert for their product.

---


My System Info (ASUS Laptop M5200AE)

Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Mobile Report


Report Date: 08/26/2006
Report Time[hr:mm:ss]: 14:07:58
Driver Version: 6.14.10.4543
Operating System: Windows XP* Professional, Service Pack 2 (5.1.2600)
Default Language: English
DirectX* Version: 9.0
Physical Memory: 1007 MB
Minimum Graphics Memory: 16 MB
Maximum Graphics Memory: 128 MB
Graphics Memory in Use: 9 MB
Processor: x86 family 6 Model 13 Stepping 8
Processor Speed: 798 MHZ
Vendor ID: 8086
Device ID: 2592
Device Revision: 04


* Accelerator Information *

Accelerator in Use: Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family
Video BIOS: 1224
Current Graphics Mode: 1024 by 768 True Color (60 Hz)



* Devices Connected to the Graphics Accelerator *


Active Notebook Displays: 1


* Notebook *

Monitor Name:
Display Type: Digital
Gamma Value: 3.0
DDC2 Protocol: Supported
Maximum Image Size: Horizontal: Not Available
Vertical: Not Available
Monitor Supported Modes:
1024 by 768 (60 Hz)
Display Power Management Support:
Standby Mode: Supported
Suspend Mode: Supported
Active Off Mode: Not Supported

* Other names and brands are the property of their respective owners.
14 Reply 31 Referrals
RedQue
Reply #1 Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:20 AM
Interestingly if I use Try It to look at the open door transition it too only annimates the restore, the minimize is instant drop to the task bar, this is all I use to get with all the older verions of 3.0.


RedQue
Reply #2 Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:23 AM
In relation to the Dragging issues, I checked that I had no Advance settings on, and the size of the window has no effect on the washed out look or the horrible jerky animation.

RedQue
Reply #3 Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:26 AM
Further on Dragging: All types are horrible, and none of the Advanced features work at all, even when the main animation is turned off.

RedQue
Reply #4 Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:36 AM
More investigation shows that the only mode that works well for Transitions is the "Fall Back Mode" even though Windows FX recommends the Best Quality mode.

Hope this give the developer something to work with...

Neil Banfield
Reply #5 Saturday, August 26, 2006 3:07 AM

I am sorry to say but I believe this 'Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family' is the problem.

Oversaturated display & slow performance are both indicators of driver problems.  I would suggest you use Fall back mode.  Window dragging cannot run in fall back mode which is why turning fall back mode on has no impact on that feature.


Pedro Rivera
Reply #6 Saturday, August 26, 2006 8:27 AM
I downloaded the updated WindowFX and I am having the same issues. I did notice that if you turn of per pixel skinning the quality of the dragging, etc does improve but still is rather sluggish.

Neil - is their an alternative driver I can use instead of the one being used on my 'Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family'? I don't know enough about display drivers. Or is this a problem or limitation with the display adapter itself?

Thanks,

Pedro

PurrBall
Reply #7 Saturday, August 26, 2006 8:41 AM
I am still having problems with Windows turning black when minimizing with teh window transitions on, and they are turning black when dragging when window dragging is on also.

Nvidia GeForce 6200 / 256MB (not turbocache)
Nvidia 91.31 drivers.
WindowFX says everything should be okay.

Fallback mode doesnt help.

Neil Banfield
Reply #8 Saturday, August 26, 2006 9:56 AM

Pedro Rivera: Most likely your integrated video is simply not fast enough.  You need a fair amount of video bandwidth & fillrate for the transitions to work.

The fact that with per pixel disabled the transitions do not look over saturated points to a bug in the intel drivers with their alpha channel support.

Meowy: By black do you mean black where you would have expected transparency?  If so, try unloading & reloading WindowFX.  Does this help?


KiwiSwe
Reply #9 Saturday, August 26, 2006 12:14 PM
Err how do i get it? Doesnt show up in my Stardock central!?

Bichur
Reply #10 Saturday, August 26, 2006 12:25 PM
Err how do i get it? Doesnt show up in my Stardock central!?



Do you have 'show pre release' checked down at the bottom?

W C Kaufman
Reply #11 Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:47 PM
Where do you download additional animations?

RedQue
Reply #12 Saturday, August 26, 2006 9:43 PM
Niel

I suspected as much, and now at least I can use fall back-mode. I have never like the dragging effects anyway, so I won't miss them.

Also there doesn't seem to be a way of setting the driver support for dragging, only for transitions.

One suggestion could we have animation effects for resizing a window. That is when maximizing and restoring a window?

Thanks for fixing FX, keep up the good work.

RedQue
Reply #13 Sunday, August 27, 2006 6:48 AM
Just an update I noticed that there is a brand new driver for the Intel Graphics in my Laptop.

Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Mobile Report

Driver Version: 6.14.10.4670
Accelerator in Use: Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family
Video BIOS: 1224
Current Graphics Mode: 1024 by 768 True Color (60 Hz)

Pain to install kept getting an unexpected error, end the end I went into safe mode, uninstalled the old driver (and the new), rebooted into safe mode again, cancelled the hardware detection, installed the new driver, which errored again, and then when into the Hardware manager removed the invalid Video entries, clicked scan for new hardware and the drivers where found and installed. On rebooting everything appears to be working okay.

As for Windows FX there is no improvements so the new drivers didn't make an don't appear to help here.

PurrBall
Reply #14 Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:30 AM
Meowy: By black do you mean black where you would have expected transparency? If so, try unloading & reloading WindowFX. Does this help?


No, I mean when I have transitions enabled, the minimize transition will turn the whole window black while animating. When it maximizes it is fine.
With the window dragging enabled, while dragging the window is black.
Reloading does not help.

Thanks.

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